Noel tore his ACL in his left knee in February and underwent surgery in March. The freshman decided to declare for the NBA Draft and is expected to be a top pick. Noel was named SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and received first-team honors from the Associated Press. Before the injury, Noel was averaging 10.5 points, 4.4 blocks and 9.5 rebounds per game.

If Noel did make his debut on Christmas Day, it would mean that he would miss approximately seven to eight weeks of the season.